Sunday, December 10, 2017

O hush the noise, ye men of strife, And hear the angels sing!


Rainy and windy through the night. Shutters bang, down pipes gurgle, window frames rattle. The heating breaks down. Sophie arrives in the kitchen to tell me what a time  she's had. I sympathize.


The gale has passed through by the time we head off down the lane. At the storm drain on the top of the ridge we pause for a chat and a chance for dog and master to put the world to rights. The male PON is told, as he's told every morning, that this is Bobs country. Sophie goes ferreting for odoriferous excitement in the drainage ditch. We wave at the garagiste and the old farmer with the excitable Westie in his green Toyota Land Cruiser. They wave at us.


On our way to the bakers we detour via the petrol station on the motorway.


You know it's a French motorway service station because they're selling duck giblets and have Galette des Rois at the cash till.


At the outside tables Bob and Sophie are given a bowl of water and some Galette crumbs by a young cashier. She tells Sophie she's ' adorable' or in French - ah-door-ah-ble.  To their surprise the PONs share their bowl of water with a gentle but thirsty Golden Retriever and his non-sighted master. Sophie whimpers when she is told to return to the car and leave her new friend. PONs are great socialites outside their own territory.

Thanks to France Musique for this Sunday morning  'O hush the noise, ye men of strife, And hear the angels sing!'  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J4oMfJNuV0g



7 comments:

WFT Nobby said...

Odiferous excitement in a drainage ditch? Never mind the service station with the duck giblets, that's where Bertie wants to be!

Yamini MacLean said...

Hari om
...and I am out in sympathy, as my heating broke down also! YAM xx

Sheila said...

There's that beautiful black head, which does indeed appear to be surveying 'Bobs country.'

Coppa's girl said...

Do you mean that there are better things in life than ferreting for odoriferous excitement in drainage ditches? Really? You'll never persuade Sophie - or Bertie !

Bella Roxy & Macdui said...

Duck giblets would be just the right additive to kibble...when the Font's away and the cuisine quality drops...just sayin'.

BaileyBobSouthernDog said...

All of you have my sympathy regarding no heat. After our day and night of snow, in Atlanta, we woke up to no power yesterday morning. It was not restored until eleven last night. Bailey Bob and I were very cold. Slept in front of the fireplace last night. I think it was very nice of Bob and Sophie to share their water with the thirsty Golden Retriever. You have taught them very good manners!

~Kim at Golden Pines~ said...

I hope your heating issue is easily resolved! I worried about ours when Eva (cheered on by Todd) dug a hole nearby and got dirt and gravel into the heat-pump outside -- It didn't sound so good when it came on, hopefully no real damage was done. I don't that that even duck giblets will keep her from a chance to dig a good hole.